Summer universities

Summer universities

EL Summer University

Once a year the European Left organises a Summer University that gathers young activists and members of parties and social movements for a multi-day debate on current political and social issues. Each Summer University deals with a specific topic and promotes the exchange of information and experiences in the various European countries. During workshops and seminars the participants discuss policies and initiatives for the construction of an alternative Europe.

Under the unfortunately red-hot slogan: „Stand up for Peace – In Solidarity“ about 300 participants and numerous day guests from Berlin and Brandenburg came together for the 9th summer university of the European left. Constructive, concentrated, and communicative, people of different ages from at least 32 countries worked together during this unique annual basic event of the Party of the European Left (EL).

September 4-5 there will be a NATO summit in Wales. On the agenda is a demand for all NATO countries to raise military budgets to at least 2% of the GDP. This is the direct preparation for an increased aggressive use of NATO military all over the world and the beginning of a new arms race.

The NATO and its member states cooperate and support other states in preparing and perpetrating wars of aggression.

The Summer University of the Party of the European Left started with a working day on the issue of Austerity, struggles and left alternatives. Steffen Lehndorff, from Transform! Europe, was in charge of introducing the conference “The impact of crisis and austerity on the European countries”, with a diagnosis of the situation in order to open the debate in different seminars and workshops which took place during the whole afternoon.

After four days of intensive discussions, accompanied by a cultural programme in Valencia, the 4th EL summer university came to an end. A variety of speakers discussed with 150 participants from 17 countries about topics as the current crisis, new ways of development, the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, Latin America and of course the outcome of the last European Elections.